You can thank the Phoenicians for this one: Disney+ has ordered a pilot for “Spaceship Earth,” a new adventure series inspired by the ride of the same name at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT theme park, TVLine has learned.
From 20th Television, here’s what we can expect from the TV series: “When a mission to avert an imminent global cataclysm goes awry, a small band of teenagers from Earth’s past and future must join forces to confront a threat as vast and mysterious as time itself.”
Jason Fuchs will serve as showrunner, executive-producing alongside Michael Waldron, Adam Fischbah and Adam Fasullo, and director Lee Tolant Krieger.
For the uninitiated, Spaceship Earth is the slow-moving ride located inside EPCOT’s iconic geosphere. Currently narrated by Dame Judi Dench, the ride takes viewers on an educational journey through humanity’s many technological advancements — from cavemen’s earliest encounters with woolly mammoths, to the invention of the personal computer in a garage in California.
The cast of “Spaceship Earth” has yet to be announced, nor is there a tentative premiere date, should the pilot be ordered to series.
Which other Disney rides have been turned into movies and TV shows?
Disney has a long history of looking to its theme parks for inspiration for major movies. 1997’s “Tower of Terror” was based on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, 2000’s “Mission to Mars” drew inspiration from the ride of the same name, 2002’s “The Country Bears” was loosely based on The Country Bear Jamboree, 2015’s “Tomorrowland” was inspired by the parks’ futuristic land, and 2021’s “Jungle Cruise” was born of the classic boat ride. Disney has twice attempted a movie based on the iconic Haunted Mansion ride, first in 2003 and again in 2023.
The most successful franchise to emerge from the parks is unquestionably the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, starring Johnny Depp as haughty seafarer Jack Sparrow. To date, a total of five movies have been released in theaters (2003–2017), collectively earning more than $4.5 billion.
That said, if “Spaceship Earth” is picked up to series, it will mark the first time a Disney Parks attraction has been turned into a TV show. Disney+ previously released a “Muppets Haunted Mansion” in 2021, a one-off special in which several of the Muppets navigated the titular estate.
Are you hoping that “Spaceship Earth” moves forward? Drop a comment with your thoughts on the potential new series below.
